A Virginia police officer who was just doing his job and helped Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials detain an undocumented immigrant after a traffic accident was suspended.
It all started after apprehending an illegal immigrant at the car crash scene, where the officer in question detained one of the drivers who was suspected of being undocumented and alerted ICE officials, according to The Washington Post.
Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. announced the suspension Tuesday but did not name the officer, saying, the officer “deprived a person of their freedom.”
Taphaps noted in their report:
While responding to the scene of a car wreck in Alexandria, an unnamed Fairfax County police officer took the information of the individuals involved per standard protocol. Since one of the drivers didn’t have a driver’s license, the officer ran the name through the database. Instantly, the query came back with a flag from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The driver was an illegal immigrant who was also a fugitive with a warrant from ICE for failing to appear for a deportation hearing. As such, the officer notified the ICE agent who was listed as the contact, informing him of the suspect’s location. Within minutes, the agent arrived and took the fugitive into federal custody to be processed for extradition.
He then accused the officer of acting against a department policy, which orders officers not to confirm administrative warrants through the county’s database, the majority of which are from ICE:
“Our county is one of the most diverse counties in the nation and no one should have the perception that FCPD is acting as a civil immigration agent for ICE,” he said in a statement.
“This matter damages our reputation and the longstanding policy that I have stated many times that our officers shall not act as immigration agents,” he added.
Disturbingly, Roessler admitted that the officer is now under investigation for his actions:
“The officer involved in this event has been relieved of all law enforcement duties pending the outcome of this investigation,” the chief said.
Homan, a Fox News contributor appeared on “Fox & Friends” said that the Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. has forgotten what it’s like to be a cop on the streets.
“Here’s a police officer responding to a traffic accident caused by an illegal alien that has no driver’s license, has no insurance. He ran him through the system. There’s an outstanding warrant from ICE because he’s in the country illegally. He’s a fugitive from justice because he didn’t show up in court,” Homan lamented.
“The cop was being a cop!”
“And, for the chief to suspend them … maybe the chief ought to remember what it’s like to be a cop. Because the chief stopped being a cop when he made that decision. He became a politician”
Sources: Taphaps, Blue Lives Matter, The Washington Times, The Washington Post
